Past Lives: The Saxon Norman Conflict
by Jet556
Summary: Once upon a time, there was an idle wastrel. He beheld the most comely gentlewoman in the whole of England and he became infatuated with her. The adversity was that she had been promised to another big chief.
1. ACT I

**Dramatis Personae**

 **The Saxons**

Raedwald, Thane of Gordale (Randy's past life)

Berthoald, son of the Saxon lady Matilda and stepson of the Norman Earl of Wolfswood Halfdan, he has thrown his lot in with the Normans and rules Wolfswood in his stepfather's absence (Bash's past life)

Wihtlaeg, Slave to Harald (Niall's past life)

Banzleibs, an unlucky Saxon troubadour (Bucky's past life)

 **The Normans**

William II of England, King of England, third son of William the Conqueror

Prince Henry, fourth and youngest son of William the Conqueror

Lady Tove (Theresa's past life)

Harald, Son of Baron Magnus of Malham who rules in his father's absence (Howard's past life)

Sir Sigtryg (Stevens' past life)

Sir Kjotve of Whitecliff (Ken's past life)

 **Setting:** England, 1093. Twenty-seven years have passed since the Battle of Hastings and William II rules England while his younger brother Henry holds domain in Domfront.

 **ACT I**

 _London. The Castle of William II._

William II of England. William Rufus. William the Red. These were the names of the third son of William the Conqueror the son to whom England had went. The second son Richard of Normandy had predeceased his father so upon the Conqueror's death his domains of Normandy and England were split between his firstborn son Robert Curthose, who got Normandy, and the son whom was named after himself, who got England while Henry, the Conqueror's youngest son, was given money to buy land.

Standing the courtyard of his castle, the King took aim at a target. He was, as William of Malmesbury would put it, "well set; his complexion florid, his hair yellow; of open countenance; different coloured eyes, varying with certain glittering specks; of astonishing strength, though not very tall, and his belly rather protruding." He was thirty-seven years old.

Standing not far away was the young Norman knight Kjotve, listening as his king spoke to him.

"I scorn the Saxons and their culture." Said William. "Edward the Confessor named my father is heir but they made Edward's brother-in-law Harold Godwinson king after his death!" William released his arrow and watched as it hit the target dead center. "For what they did, the Saxons must know their place in the world and we must remember ours but we cannot collect taxes from rebels so we must not go too far with them."

"Yes, Sire." Said Kjotve.

"I will not permit the mixing of their blood and ours but I will make exceptions to this rule." Continued William. "Aethelred the Unready, Edward's father, after all was married to Emma of Normandy, my great-great-great aunt thus making Edward the Confessor and my father cousins. But that is enough now! You must be on your way to Malham! Go and enjoy yourself in the company of that bastard Harald while his father is away."

 _Malham. The Castle of Earl Magnus._

Playing chess with Harald sat the Saxon Thane of Gordale Raedwald. Raedwald's grandfather had been a member of Edward the Confessor's court, the one member who had not objected to William the Conqueror being Edward's heir. Regardless, the rest of the votes were for Harold Godwinson.

Raedwald was best described as an idle wastrel. He often avoided work and was a wasteful person. And then she entered the room: the Lady Tove. Raedwald was so enchanted by her that he made a move that placed his king in danger.

"Who is winning, Harald?" asked Tove.

"Better to ask who has won, Tove." Replied Harald. "Since I just have. A first. It is usually Raedwald who wins."

"Tove?" asked Raedwald. "I have never seen you before!"

"I am recently arrived from Normandy." Replied Tove. "I have come to meet my fiancé Sir Sigtryg."

"A vile man whom I would not go into battle with!" Everyone jumped as Kjotve entered the room. "Always a pleasure, Harald."

"Greetings, Kjotve." Returned Harald.

"Are you two still so ill at ease around each other?" asked Raedwald. "So you both unhorsed each other at the tournament, it is no reason to be uncomfortable around each other!" Kjotve walked over to the small table between Raedwald and Harald and brought his foot down on the table with such a force that the table broke. "Are you a Norman or a Scot, Kjotve? Calm down."

"Sigtryg will be arriving tomorrow I hear." Stated Harald. "You will be able to meet him then, Tove. And Kjotve, you owe me a new table and judging from my chess pieces a new set as well. I'll take that chess set of walrus tusk you have back at Whitecliff."

"What brings one of King William's knights here?" asked Raedwald.

"To oversee the wedding between Sigtryg and Tove here." Replied Kjotve. "It was arranged you know. Sigtryg has inherited a rather large garrison and Tove here is rather wealthy. Both things to make military campaigns successful. Large garrisons and wealth! I'd rather be fighting the Welsh. Where is that serf of yours, Harald? I'm thirsty! I need the wash the dust from my throat."

"Have you tried your own pi—"

"Wihtlaeg!" called Tove. "Bring in a goblet of wine for Sir Kjotve."

"Thank you, Tove."

 _Gordale. Raedwald's hall._

Raedwald looked down at a book in his hands. It told of the Battle of Hastings, the battle where Saxon England died and Norman England was born. Had the Saxon nobles just accepted the Conqueror as the Confessor's chosen heir there would not have been a battle.

But yet Raedwalkd could not help but wonder if he and Harald would still be friends. Harald's family would have still been in Normandy or they would have come over and had a new title made for them.

And Tove? Had there never been a Battle of Hastings would she have never come to be here?

Raedwald was quite happy with how things were but there were some things that he could not ignore. The way a great many of his people were treated by the Normans had caused him to recently come into conflict with Norman law. Raedwald's minstrel Banzleibs had been assaulted. The attacker had been a Norman in Sigtry's employ. Raedwald intervened and accidentally killed the Norman. Thus was the reason why he had been visiting Harald that day. To inform him of what had happened so his trial would be not as terrible as it could have been.


	2. ACT II

**Dramatis Personae**

 **The Saxons**

Wermund, the 11th century equivalent of the kiss-up (Julian's past life)

Lady Hedwiga, descendant of Alfred the Great (Debbie's past life)

 **The Normans**

Lady Asa, Daughter of Baron Magnus of Malham (Heidi's past life)

 **ACT II**

 _London. The Castle of William II._

Sitting at a desk, William wrote a message. He had been asked by Kjotve to sanction the coming marriage between him and Harald's sister Asa. William said he would consider it and having considered it he had come to the conclusion he would only sanction the marriage if Kjotve could persuade Berthoald of Wolfswood to change his name more befitting the stepson of a Norman earl. Thus he wrote a message to be delivered to Kjotve to do so.

As he finished writing, William looked over to a tapestry depicting the Battle of Hastings. He had been a boy of ten that year. He had dreamed of fighting the Saxons and now he was ruling them.

 _Gordale. Raedwald's hall._

Placing his cloak on, Raedwald looked out the window as the Lady Hedwiga arrived. She must have had some complaint to make to the local thane, in this case Raedwald. It was usually minor complaints a usual complaint however was Raedwald's friendship with Harald. His love for Tove would probably bring about similar complaints.

"Have you heard what Kjotve is headed to Wolfswood for?" asked Hedwiga, once they were all in the courtyard. "To persuade him to change his name to something more befitting a Norman's stepson."

"Why should I care about Berthoald?" Raedwald had no love for Berthoald. The brute had often sent hounds after him, attacked him for no reason. For what reason should Raedwald have cared about Berthoald. "If Kjote were to go to Wolfswood to kill Berthoald I've be rejoicing, he treats everyone like dirt. It would have been better that Halfdan had killed him so we wouldn't have to suffer his existence. Besides, I have to attend a trial at Malham so please let me go."

"Malham!" scoffed Hedwiga. "Your friendship with that Harald is a shame to all Saxons! Saxon and Norman cannot be friends, my ancestor Alfred the Great never would have suffered the indignity of being friends with a Norman."

"Normandy didn't exist in Alfred's time." Commented Raedwald. "He would have been a friend with their ancestors, the Danes and the Norwegians."

"He would have driven them out!" exclaimed Hedwiga. "Neither Vikings nor their descendants deserve to live in England! It should belong to the Saxons alone! You bring shame to your heritage!"

"Leave, Hedwiga."

"I will not! I am a descendant of Alfred the Great and I order you to end your friendship with Harald!"

"I wouldn't obey that order if you were Mstislav of Novgorod." Mstislav was a descendant of Harold Godwinson, the last Saxon king of England who had died at the Battle of Hastings twenty-seven years prior. "Nor would I listen if you were Hereward the Wake, I don't take orders from ghosts."

"Shame!" Hedwiga was certainly enraged at this point. Raedwald not obeying her, a descendant of Alfred the Great, was something that made Hedwiga as a bull, anyone not obeying her really. Add Raedwald saying would not obey a descendant of Harold Godwinson or Hereward the Wake himself and Hedwiga was as angry as three bulls. "You are disgrace to Saxons everywhere! You should be thrown into a pit of wolves like that Dane Horik was!"

"I wonder if you would still be this way if married to a Norman." Mused Raedwald aloud, now sending Hedwiga into an even greater rage.

 _Wolfswood. An alehouse._

"Undergo a baptism and you may be viewed as Halfdan's heir." Said Kjotve as the ape-like Berthoald sat in drink while the publican Wermund quite literally kissed Berthoald's feet. "Halfdan has no heir by blood and thus you cannot succeed him. Wolfswood would probably go to your step-uncle and you would not want that would you, the old thane of Wolfwood's son not being able to inherit his father's estate."

"Wolfswood is mine in Halfdan's absence." Stated Berthoald.

"Yes but not should he die." Replied Kjotve. "You won't be able to succeed him, now just agree to this baptism and you shall be acknowledged as Halfdan's heir and my marriage with Asa will be sanctioned by the king himself!"

"You and her are not engaged." Commented Berthoald.

"Just agree to the baptism!"

 _Malham. A room in the castle._

Sitting in a chair, Harald looked down on Raedwald and Sigtryg before him. The Saxon thane and the Norman knight, one his friend the other his guest. At a side of the room Tove and Harald's sister Asa watched. Harald had already decided on the verdict.

"For the killing of Sigtryg's man you shall receive one stroke of the whip upon your back." Said Harald. It would have been fair, not killing his friend but not letting him go unpunished either.

If only Raedwald was not one to feel betrayed by this. His own friend sentence him to a stroke of the whip? This was a betrayal of the worst kind!

"A whip of the lash!" exclaimed Raedwald. "Harald, you are nothing more but the most perfidious thing to ever set foot upon the earth!"

"Two lashes." Said Harald.

"Give me trial by combat!" exclaimed Raedwald. "Let me have a proper form of justice! I challenge Sir Sigtrygg!"

"Three lashes." Said Harald, now with full intentions to keep adding numbers of lashes until Raedwald stopped talking.

Raedwald drew his sword and pointed it at Sigtrygg. "Draw your sword, Sigtrygg! Let God decide who the guilty party is here!"

"Four lashes."

"God knows who the guilty part is." Replied Sigtryg. "For only Satan himself would view a Saxon as innocent!" Raedwald charged at Sigtryg only for some guards to pull him away.

"Ten lashes!" exclaimed Harald, now enraged at this act.

"I will not be sentenced to this vile mockery of justice!" exclaimed Raedwald. "I quit Malham and never more shall step foot here!"

This proved to be the last straw for Harald. He drew his sword and leapt from his chair only to land chest first on Raedwald's sword as the Saxon turned to see what was going on leading to Raedwald accidentally killing his friend. Thus did Raedwald flee from Malham with his friend's blood on his hands.


	3. ACT III

**ACT III**

 _Gordale. Raedwald's hall._

Harald was dead and it was Raedwald who had killed him. It may have been accidental but he had killed him nonetheless. He was a Saxon, a noble but a Saxon nonetheless, and he had killed two Normans now, one of no importance and the other a noble. The other had been his friend. He had killed his friend.

Raedwald was damned. He'd be in Hell for this he was certain. Everyone would want him hanged or worse.

And what of Tove? He loved her and hoped to one day marry her but would she marry one who had killed her host?

Was suicide the only way out for him? No, he could have fled to the Byzantine Empire and joined the Varangian Guard. He could have fled all the way to Saxony, Angeln or Jutland, the lands of his ancestors. He would not set foot in Denmark or Norway, those lands were home to people who were kin to the Normans. They would want him dead as well. He could not flee to Southern Italy because the Normans were conquering there and they were invading Wales so there was no way Raedwald would go there either. Even if he did join the Varangian Guard, the Byzantines were at war with the Normans… To go into Scotland, just north of Enland, would be madness. Malcolm III of Scotland had submitted, paid homage and surrendered his son who would become Duncan II of Scotland to William the Conqueror. There was no place on this isle where Raedwald would be safe.

 _Malham. The Castle of Earl Magnus._

Upon a table lay Harald's body. The heart had ben punctured. There was no doubt he was dead.

They may not have gotten along but still Asa mourned her brother. He was family and she would mourn his death as one should mourn for members of their family that had died.

"Our host dead!" exclaimed Sigtryg in rage. "Who is to be our host now? This woman?" he pointed at Asa. "I claim this castle! Fetch a priest! I will marry Tove now!"

"Never!" screamed Tove. "To marry you would make me the most pitiful bride in England!"

"That is enough." Kjotve entered the great hall with a message in his hand. "Prince Henry is coming to Malham and I will not have the people here at each other's throats." It was at that point that Kjotve saw Harald's body. "And I would have taught him how to skip. How did he die?"

"He fell on Raedwald's sword." Answered Asa, tears flowing from her eyes.

"Suicide?" asked Kjotve.

"Accidental murder." Replied Tove.

"If it was accidental then let us leave him be." Said Kjotve. "Harald was his friend, no doubt his guilt will be his punishment." Asa and Tove were in agreement but Sigtryg was not.

"Let a murderous Saxon go?" Sigtryg asked. "Are you mad? He may kill King William he may kill Prince Henry! Are we to let this barbarian go forth and do what ever he wishes?"

"I will not concern myself about one Saxon." Stated Kjotve. "Many Saxons I would concern myself about but not one. I am the King's knight and I will take orders from him but not from you, Sigtryg."

"Then I shall await for orders from Prince Henry." Countered Sigtryg. "William has no sons and thus it is his brother Henry who is his heir. I shall explain to our future king what has happened and that Saxon pig shall soon find himself like all who died at the Battle of Hastings."

Prince Henry. William was a wise ruler and a victorious general but Henry was cruel and draconian who scorned Saxons and his fellow Normans alike believing that if they were not descended from Rollo, the founding Duke of Normandy, then they were inferior to him.

Henry as king would have been a terrible thing for England.

 _Wolfswood. A river._

Before a priest, Berthoald stood. It was in the middle of a river that they stood. The priest baptized Berthoald and gave him the new name of Baldr. He had agreed to the baptism. The marriage between Kjotve and Asa would be sanctioned by King William.


	4. ACT IV

**Note: I do not have a poor view of paganism or homosexuality but keeping within the views of the 11** **th** **century they shall be thought of as something horrible in one scene.**

 **ACT IV**

 _Gordale. Raedwald's Hall._

Days passed. Raedwald had recovered somewhat. Harald had been buried. Tove had come to visit Raedwald and they had come to know one another, even causing their love for one another to grow. But yet Raedwald was alone this day.

Prince Henry would be in Malham this day. William may have had a semi-tolerance for Saxon and Normans as friends or lovers but Henry did not. If Henry were to find out about him and Tove they would both be hanging from trees as soon as he was to have them captured.

From Tove Raedwald had learned that Sigtryg had intentions to inform Henry of his killing of Harald. Kjotve had no intentions to come after him for the killing of Harald had been accidental. Obviously Kjotve and Sigtryg did not see eye-to-eye and how things would turn out was anyone's guess.

 _London._

To say that William was looking forward to his brother's visit to England would have been untrue. The surviving sons of William the Conqueror did not have the best of relationships. In 1077 the then twenty-one year old William and nine year old Henry had grown bored with casting dice and decided to make mischief by emptying a chamber pot onto the twenty-six year old Robert from an upper galley. This act both infuriated and shamed Robert and a brawl broke out between William the Conqueror's eldest and his two younger sons resulting in their forty-nine year old father having to intercede and restore order.

After that, Robert felt his dignity had been wounded and was even more angered when his father failed to punish his brothers. In retaliation for this Robert laid siege to Rouen Castle but it failed and his father ordered Robert arrested only for Robert to flee to his uncle Count Robert I of Flanders before plundering the county of Vixen causing William the Conqueror to ally with Philip I of France to stop the repellious Robert Curthose. All this because William and Henry had emptied a chamber pot onto Robert's head!

Although Henry had been William's co-conspirator, the two did not have the best relationship. William had no interest in Normandy, being fully intent with just having England to rule while Henry wanted both England and Normandy. William had yet to find a wife so England would go to Henry and neither did Robert so Henry would get both anyway if neither had a son but Henry was as impatient as a nihilist was idiotic. The man just could not wait for his brother's to die so if he were to try anything while in England would have been anyone's guess.

It would do William well to mark his younger brother. One day Henry would be King of England and it would not be because William had died of natural causes.

 _Wolfswood._

Baldr, formerly Berthoald stood in his armory while Wermund put his armor on him. Wermund may have been an odd one but Baldr required someone to wait on him… Until Baldr found someone else but even then there was no certainty that something would not happen to Wermund before Baldr found someone else.

"Hurry up!" yelled Baldr. "Prince Henry will be in Malham by midday! I want to be there so I might go with Sigtryg to kill Raedwald!"

"Yes, Baldr, as you wish, Baldr, anything you say, Baldr!" Wermund was basically just avoiding getting killed. It wouldn't work.

"Get my helmet!"

"Yes, Baldr, as you wish, Baldr, anything you say, Baldr!" Wermund ran over to a random nasal helm and brought it over to Baldr.

"This isn't my helmet!" And that was when it happened. Baldr placed a great hand around Wermund's face and twisted his head around. All that because Wermund had brought him the wrong helmet!

 _Malham._

Henry physically resembled his older brothers Robert Curthose, the late Richard of Normandy and William II of England. He was short, stocky and barrel-chested with black hair. Thus did this short man sit before Kjotve, Asa, Sigtryg, Tove and Baldr.

"You tell me that this Raedwald murdered Harald, Sigtryg?" asked Henry.

"Yes, your highness." Replied Sigtryg.

"'Your majesty!'" snapped Henry. "I am next in line for the throne, I shall be called as I demand to be called!"

"You aren't king yet!" exclaimed Kjotve. "Nor would I call you that even if you were!"

"Be silent!" Henry once more looked to Sigtryg. "This Saxon must be killed! I will not have Saxon murder Norman!"

"But it was not murder it was accidental!" stated Asa.

"Nor will I be dictated to by some wench!" Henry stood up and looked down at Asa. "Asa, upon the day of my coronation you will be banished from England! The day I become Duke of Normandy, you shall be banished from there as well. I will neither have a loyalist to a homosexual paynim nor a dictating wench in my domains!"

"You dare insult your brother?" asked Kjotve, drawing his sword. "I'll divorce your head from your shoulders for that!"

"Kjotve, control yourself." Whispered Asa. "Henry may be insulting but you cannot murder the prince. Let us leave, it is best we warn Raedwald of Henry's coming wrath."


	5. ACT V

**ACT V**

 _Gordale. The Hall._

Kjotve and Asa arrived to find Tove already at Gordale and having informed Raedwald about the coming attack. To the shock of Kjotve, Raedwald and Tove were lovers.

"Well if Aethelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy were able to be man and wife then surely they can be as well." Commented Asa.

"And if Sigtryg and the newly baptized Baldr are on there way then I'll have to fight them!" exclaimed Raedwald.

"Saxons!" scoffed Kjotve. "You are as foolish as Romans!"

"Then what am I to do, Kjotve?" asked Raedwald. "Run?"

"There is no shame in fleeing to fight another day." Replied Kjotve. "If you and Tove both flee, you will be fleeing with Sigtryg's betrothed. Who knows how far he will chase you? Have you ever been out of England?"

"What are you suggesting, Kjotve?" asked Tove.

"My father, who as you know fought at and survived Hastings, had a bit too much of our Viking ancestors in him. More Viking in him than Frankish and Gallo-Roman, was more comfortable amongst his kin in Denmark and Norway and thus like many a Viking went raiding and selling slaves to Islamic fellows." Kjotve paused. "Thus my father has some Saracen friends."

"Take sanctuary with infidels?" asked Asa in pious horror. "Is that really what you are suggesting for them?"

"Wait, he has a point!" exclaimed Raedwald.

"I do?" asked Kjotve. "I mean, yes, of course I do!"

"Take sanctuary with family friends outside of England." Mused Raedwald. "My grandfather had friends in Ireland, perhaps they still live."

Thus did these couples part ways. Raedwald and Tove fled to Ireland, Sigtryg died on the way there, William was murdered on the order of his brother in 1100, Henry became king and thus Kjotve and Asa were forced to flee to Normandy and later Denmark once Henry became Duke of Normandy. The Saxon-Norman conflict would come to end in 1194 as the legend tells us but that is another story, one that has been told by one greater.

 **The End**


End file.
